×Wilsonara is an artificial hybrid of orchids between three genera in the subtribe Oncidiinae. ×Wilsonara is made from the genera Odontoglossum, consisting of about 300 species, Oncidium, consisting of about 500 species and Cochlioda, consisting of 6 species. The first hybrid of ×Wilsonara was created in 1916. Due to the varying percentages of the parent genera that make up ×Wilsonara and the gene expression in their progeny, ×Wilsonara varies in morphology and size. All exhibit sympodial growth habit.
×Wilsonara breeding is typically done from sexual methods. Asexual propagation of ×Wilsonara is often done in aseptic tissue culture from apical or axillary shoots.
The new cultivar was discovered by the Inventor within the progeny of a cross made by the Inventor on Sep. 8, 1999. The Inventor selected ×Wilsonara Red Pacific ‘Deep Shadows’ as a single plant from a population of over 50 plants grown in Hilo, Hi. ×Wilsonara Red Pacific ‘Deep Shadows’ was submitted by the Inventor to a commercial tissue culture laboratory in Bangkok, Thailand on Jun. 10, 2003 and asexually reproduced by aseptic tissue culture technique. A quantity was produced for evaluation and has demonstrated that the unique combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
Other seedlings from the same cross that was used to produce ×Wilsonara Red Pacific ‘Deep Shadows’ have been commercially available from others. The characteristics of ×Wilsonara Red Pacific ‘Deep Shadows’ are clearly distinguishable from the characteristics of those other plants. Those other plants were sold without specific epithet to individuals and other nurseries. To the Inventor's knowledge, the only other named clone of the cross is ×Wilsonara Red Pacific ‘Ruby Red’, non-patented, and is owned by the Inventor. Plants of the grex ×Wilsonara Red Pacific are sold as plants of the grex without specific epithet.